A family source tells HollywoodLife.com: ‘I’m afraid for the baby’s life.’

Teen Mom 2 cast member Jenelle Evans‘ history of arrests and mischief is well known already — and it’s resulted in her mother Barbara being given temporary custody of Jenelle’s 1-year-old son, Jace. Butconversations with an Evans family source and a review of police records suggest that Barbara has had significant troubles of her own.

What’s more, her difficult relationship with her own children call into question her suitability to be Jace’s primary guardian.

“I’m afraid for the baby’s life that Barbara [has] a hold of this baby,” a family source with knowledge of the situation between Barbara, 57, and Jenelle, 19, tells HollyBaby.com exclusively. “Everybody thinks that she’s such a wonderful person because she’s trying to get the baby from Jenelle. People don’t know her. Just keep watching the show, the true Barbara will come out.”

On the MTV show, Barbara is shown constantly screaming at Jenelle and trying to gain control of situations.

Barbara and ex-husband Robert were divorced over ten years ago, and we’re told that the relationship was turbulent. Once Barbara and Robert got divorced, she took the kids far away from the family and raised them on her own. And the three Evans children have all had brushes with the law.

Both of Jenelle’s older siblings Ashleigh and Collin have had legal issues of their own — both involving their mother. Ashleigh, 22, was arrested on Sept. 26, 2006, for a Simple Physical Assault charge. “Subject was arrested after assaulting her mother,” the arrest report reads. “Ms. Evans reported that her daughter Ashleigh had assaulted her. Ms. Evans said Ashleigh has mental problems and has not been taking her medication. Ashleigh got out of control and assaulted Ms. Evans and her younger sister [Jenelle].”

Collin, 21, was picked up on Mar. 3, 2007 and faced two charges of Injury to Personal Property and Injury to Real Property. “Upon receiving a report of a domestic disturbance, I arrived to find Barbara Evans and her son Collin arguing in the front yard,” states the incident report. “Ms. Evans stated that Mr. Evans had been in an altercation with her boyfriend and punched and kicked his truck. [He also] shattered the front glass storm door.” Collin was living in a “group home” at the time of the incident, according to the report.

“It sounds like this is incredibly dysfunctional and this kid’s got like a zero percent chance of normalcy in being raised by the grandmother,” family attorney Jeff Miller tells HollyBaby.com. “The mother, who got pregnant when she was a child, still is a child and doesn’t know what she’s doing and the grandmother doesn’t seem fit.”

“But, the ultimate overriding concern is what’s in the best interest of the child,” Jeff explains. “The court would have to look at the whole big picture: the mother, who is the mother of the child, and the grandmother and look at the whole situation, household — what’s going on there. It may be that the court finds that neither of them are fit [to raise Jace].”

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Courtney

Posted at 1:06 AM on July 17, 2014

He’s NOT stable with the grandmother!!!! Did you read the article? CLEARLY, she did a horrible job raising her children. It’s obvious Barbra can not communicate with anyone without yelling in this horrible screeching “I can talk louder than you, and I have to have the last word” Harpee language. We can see where Jenelle picked up that behavior. Jace will end up just like Janelle and the other children Barbra raised unless something changes.

I agree with Kristina. I have thought Narcissistic Personality when it comes to Barbra’s mental state for a while now. She has this vision of herself as a saint. The reason Jenelle is not a fit parent is because Barbra continues to set her up not to be (along with the fact that Jenelle is lazy selfish person to begin with). I know the show only offers a small glimpse into their lives, and of course, who knows how much they yuk it up for the camera, but it’s so apparent that Barbra knows just what buttons to push to make Jenelle act out. She needs for Jenelle to be the lazy, wild tempered, troubled mother that she is in order to maintain her delusion of herself. I wish the child had some other relative that could take custody away from both of them!!!

She should not get him back hes stable with his grandmother his mother is not stable how long before shes back to her old trickes then he will be hurt leave him where he is come on people look at her track record

I am so glad that other people are aware that Barbara is mentally ill. Jenelle needs to get her life in order, yes, but the reason she has had so many problems is clearly a direct result of a lifetime of belittlement and discouragement from her mother.

One term I’ve not seen is Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Barbara fits this diagnosis 100%! I wish I could reach out to Jenelle and have her look into this – I think it could really help her see things differently. I know it did for me, with my mother who was/is strikingly similar to Barbara.

Look up “Narcissistic Mother” and you will get a good indication of what it is like to be raised by such a woman… It’s sick.

Do you guys realize that most of the comments that are against Barbara are teenage mothers who also do drugs and expect things to be handed to them? Barbara is 57 years old! She shouldn’t have to raise Jace, but she made the choice to because she loves them. She is under so much stress, and everyone is siding with Jenelle, who is on & off with Kieffer, smokes weed on a regular basis, and does ABSOLUTELY nothing to show her mom that she is responsible. Barbara yells at Jenelle because she is frustrated. Jenelle is more focused on weed and her no-good boyfriend. Jenelle should have been kicked out after all the crap she gave her mom.
Even if she had been treated bad by Barbara, she needs to step it up and do what’s right for her kid.

I cannot stand Barbara and I agree with the first poster, Kristina, about Barbara being mentally ill. I am, however, not a teenage mother. I am in my late twenties and I have a good job and a good life (working on my PhD). No kids yet. But I see what Barbara is, and I know what it is like to be in Jenelle’s shoes even though I made better decisions more or less.

Barbara is psycho!!! She’s not a fit mother! It is so apparent on the show! Kicking her daughter out is one thing… but when she has no place to go… that’s different. And mocking her and cussing at her is absolutely not right! She sounds like she’s Jenelle’s sister in the arguments… not her parent! She should absolutely not be taking care of Jace.

I feel really bad for Jenelle. Her mom reminds me of my mom except not only does my mom talk to me that way whenever she feels like it she also beat the crap outta me until the age of 16. I never did drugs I paid for my own stuff since I was 15 with the money I earned babysitting. I went to church never missed school. My mom was very controlling and one day I had a flat tire on my bike and had to walk. I was 10 minutes late for my 7 o’clock curfew. I got kicked out at 17 for being late that day. I eventually ended up smoking weed, but I quit and never went back as soon as I got pregnant. I made some bad choices, but that was after my mom brought me down and I picked myself up on the end. My point being I think Barbara is like my mom and Jenelle’s issues probably started with her. She does need to straighten up, but her mom needs to learn how to let go and pick her battles. I don’t think she should have custody either.

I feel for you, I understand what it’s like to live with a crazy and abusive mother. Mine was jealous of me and a gambler. I had to work since I was 15 years old also, never seeing a dime of it because it went to my poor excuse for a mom. I cut her out of my life 10 years ago and it has been the best decision I ever made. Now I have an awesome 6 year old daughter and another on the way next month. My hubby is so understanding and loving, he is the perfect dad and spouse. I am so happy that my girls will have the normal life I always wanted and will never have to speak or meet the person who tried to break me. I have 2 siblings that are in their 20’s and still live at home with my mother. I have tried numerous times to get them to grow up and move on, but they are ignorant and act just like her. I cut them off too. I’m glad I was smart enough to just go on with my life, God knows where i’d be if I hadn’t. Your story is a sad one, but I’m glad you are doing well also.

I understand there is a such thing as tough love, but that doesnt include calling her names and cursing at he. Barbara is a bitter old women who really needs to learn how to treat people. I wouldnt have been able to hold back from hitting her. Jenelle does have problems she needs to improve, but I cant help but wonder if her mother is the reason she acts the way she does. Its just rediculous how some ppl act and want to say they are the adult, yet they dont act like it. Barbara is just as bad as jenelle when it comes to arguing in front of that baby. Hell, she starts it a majority of the time, but in my honest opinion, neither should have custody, but jenelle should have to take classes and get on her feet in her own home and drug free before she gets jayce back….Barbara definantly does not need jayce period……

I want so badly to reach out to Barbara, Janelle’s mom and offer her my support. I am raising my 4 year old grandson and have had custody since his mom went to jail. I have got to the point where all we do is fight, I have so much built up anger that has never been resolved. It has taken so much pain and hurt, I have been to the point where I see Barbara, after so much it as almost impossible to be civil to my daughter. I wish you some happiness as you raise Jace and I admire you, I know the fights that go on and know how it breaks you.

She has no right. None. I’d like to reach out to her too… and smack her into reality. That nagging voice! Telling her child she isn’t lovable! I wonder how she got that way? I wonder why she shuts you out… maybe it’s because you were a BAD MOTHER.

I feel so bad for Jenelle and Jace. I’ve talked to her over messages on myspace before she had a fanpage on facebook (now deleted) And she seemed so upset even then. I just want to drive to Oak Island and take her and Jace somewhere safe away from her mother. When she used stickam you could hear her mom screaming at her in the background about stupid things. She loves Jace with all her heart and it’s horrible to see her mentaly ill mother having custody of the poor baby and mentaly abuse Jenelle.

I don’t feel badly at all for Janelle. Once a cute baby arrives, everyone seems to forget how it got here. Janelle made a CHOICE to have pre-marital, illicit sex without benefit of marriage when she was a teen. With irresponsible behavior come consequences. In the case of teen moms, those consequences may come in the form of cessation of education, inability to find a job, inability to provide houseing, food, clothing for their babies.

Behavior such as that displayed by all the teen moms sets the women’s movement back hundreds and hundreds of years. Are women still so anxious to “just stay home” with a box of bon bons on their chests watching daytime tv that they are STILL trying to trap guys into “keeping” them just because they popped out a child? Well, it backfires, as it has with most of the teen moms on the MTV show.

A woman has a responsibility to herself to say NO! when her boyfriend insists on premarital sex. And let’s remember, too, sorry to be crass: someone probably had more than one “fun night” before they were “caught.”

In the end, every sin we commit has to be paid for in some manner. These girls are excellent examples of poor choices being made by little girls too young to realize their “lovers” may leave them at the first suggestion that they assume responsibility for their own offspring. Then where are they? Not so much fun now, huh?

what up your son is os cuet and you are a good mom but your mom is mad at you all the time i wihch your solw all the time and you are a very nice yong mom but i am a youg mom to os i do not kown what i am have yet os maybe i will

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Veva

Posted at 3:15 PM on March 3, 2011

What is up with Kieffer, Jenelle’s new boyfriend? I made a bet with myself that when they both went out looking for jobs, she would come back with one and he would not. You could tell he did NOT want to find a job. His face, his poture, all betrayed him. Why she couldn’t see it is anyone’s guess. He is a “pretty boy” who will live off women until or unless circumstances FORCE him to find a job. And, even then, he won’t put any effort into any job and will go through a series of jobs, never amounting to much, and, without dental insurance, those lovely teeth will rot and he will undoubtedly put on weight, thereby removing himself from the “pool” of pretty boys out there.

It’s gonna be real sad. I cannot understand what so MANY ppl have against working nowadays. There is something to be said for it: a stable life, a house, a nice care, the ability to have pets and to paint your walls any color you want them to be. Fighting off a job becomes a job in itself for ppl like Kieffer. He might as well just knuckle down and get one.

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Elisa

Posted at 12:37 AM on March 14, 2011

Veva, please take your god worshiping phyco babble bible talk to a religious website, you just sound ignorant, anyone who cant see that barbara is not mentally stable must be BLIND i feel bad for jenelle having to deal with the torture of her mother everyday. I had my first child at 18 and my second at 23 and im doing perfectly fine, so not all young mothers are going to “pay for their sins’ as you would say….haha i laugh at that statement just because you saved yourself for marriage does not mean everyone else has to or they will “pay for their sins” almost 80% of teens in the united states have premarital sex, get with the program honey stop living under a rock,

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Veva

Posted at 11:38 AM on April 28, 2011

Elisa: There was no religious psychobabble in my statements. By admitting you had your first child at the age of eighteen, which means you were pregnant at seventeen, what, a junior in high school…and by stating that almost 80% of teens in the U . S. (which is capitalized, by the way…had you been studying in high school instead of doing it, you might have known that…have premarital sex, does not mean YOUR program is a good one. Odds are you have lived, or are currently living, on food stamps and availing yourself of other government programs. If you really think, if you ARE married, that the “man who did you” is in it for the long haul, just wait & see. BTW: I have a very high IQ and am not ignorant. YOU and other women who think premarital sex and having children while not in a committed relationship are the ignorant ones and those of us who DO have standards look down on people like you.

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Cortney

Posted at 4:28 PM on June 21, 2011

Veva, seriously, not all teen moms end up living off the state! I have 2 kids and I’m 25, I have a psychology degree, and working on getting my social worker degree, I do not live off the state, and ya know what, I never will! Not only that, but I know a lot of young moms who are doing better than half of the older generations! Just because a woman got pregnant at a young age doesn’t mean she’s sinned, it might have been a bad choice at the time, but kids are not mistakes what so ever, just timing that is all. Anyone who says that we shouldn’t have premarital sex seriously isn’t living healthy, i am not saying to go out and have sex with whoever you want whenever you want, i’m saying that it is perfectly healthy to have sex even if you aren’t married!!!! Get with the times lady, nobody wants to be married these days because all it is, is a piece of paper. God truly doesn’t care about marital statuses….get over yourself!!

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Elisa

Posted at 11:08 PM on January 24, 2012

VEVA, Everytime you post you sound more and more ignorant. Actually I was pregnant at 18 not 17 it only takes 9 months to have a baby not a year. Haha your commennts are so rude and ignorant it’s unbelieveable.

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Elisa

Posted at 11:57 PM on January 24, 2012

OH BTW VEVA, having a high IQ Doesn’t necessarily mean your smart. Your giving your opinion that doesn’t mean that it’s right. I also have a high IQ but I don’t pretend to know everything. Unlike you I also do not make ignorant misconceptions in public and act like all of young single mother’s are destined to be on food stamps. Lol because I’m SMART enough to know that’s not true. That’s like making a ridiculous statement that all people of color live in ghetto’s. That is absolutely ridiculous and crazy. I know better. Apparently you do not. And that makes me sad for you that you live by misconceptions instead of learning life lessons in the real world!

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Bailee(:

Posted at 1:27 PM on January 26, 2012

Listen here veva I had my first kid when I was 17. Got somethig to say, say it to their face by over comments. Nothing Is wrong with being a teen mom as long as u have a roof over ur head. Okay.?
My child is very healthy she is bad but very healthy.! So I made it out just fine being a teen mom(: I punish my kid like I am an adult and really I am only 21. Don’t point me out

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Amanda

Posted at 3:26 AM on April 11, 2011

I agree that she made bad decisions, but is it REALLY her fault that she has such deeply rooted emotional issues? I mean, how can you NOT feel badly for Janelle? Her mother is a hot mess. How would you feel if somebody yelled at you constantly, belittling you on a daily basis, making you feel like you are not good enough.

On that note, I firmly believe that Barbara SHOULD NOT have custody of that child. I think that, given the chance, Janelle could be a wonderful mother to her child. From the time that child was born Barbara stepped in and controlled every move. Why? It’s not her child. Just because it is your house and your child is living under your roof with her baby doesn’t mean that you have any right to intervene. Be a grandma. Be there to support your child through this life changing event. Use this as a teachable moment. Teach your daughter about responsibility. Teach her about love and commitment. Do it through support, not control.

I feel even more badly for that little boy. Not because he has a teen mom that is inexperienced and immature, but because he has to live with that crazy Barbara. He has to witness the fighting and bickering. What is his life going to be like with such a controlling person running his life? Is he going to lash out as well? Probably.

Janelle can provide so much for that child. She is his mother. If she HAD to do it, she would. But she knows that he has a roof over his head.

Janelle honey, there is SO MUCH you can do for yourself and that child. There are so many programs out there designed to HELP people like you. Even if it means living in public housing on welfare… just quit smoking weed. It’s not worth it when you’re looking at the bigger picture. I know congressmen and governors and very successful businesspeople who smoke marijuana on a daily basis… but they have their lives together. Get yours together. Get out there, get the help you need, get your baby away from your mother so she doesn’t end up ruining a fourth child’s life… because you know she isn’t in the running for mother of the year. YOU are what he needs. He needs you to be a stable, prominent, strong, LOVING, and AVAILABLE mother. I know you can do it. Be a fighter. Show him the love that you wish so badly you felt. Don’t let him grow up to feel how you’ve felt. Support him in every aspect of life.

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butros gali

Posted at 10:36 AM on February 9, 2011

I cannot wait to see the reunion show with Dr. Drew. I really hope he hands Barbara her a** like he did with Caitlyn’s mom. She is a crazy b***h and needs help. Janelle is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but her mom played a major role in her being that way in the first place. I have a feeling she has been putting Jenelle down her whole life and now as a result she is rebelling. I want to slap the crap out of the both of them for bringing a baby into that household. Get em’ Dr. Drew!

Jennelle is no great shakes either! The few clips of her interacting with Jason show her getting extremely frustrated and ignoring him, or getting mad at him for dropping things like a sippy cup even though he is a BABY. At least her mother actually takes care of him, instead of just partying and smoking weed.
Her mom didn’t force her into anything with the lawyer situation. Jenelle decided she wanted to be a big girl and not get a FREE state appointed lawyer and go find one on her own which failed miserably since she was living in a car with no job at the time!
Jenelle loves playing the poor kid whose mom is so tough, but i wouldn’t want my child driving their kid around when they have a drug habit and get high all the time with their friends. Imagine if they got into an accident with Jason while driving, or didn’t watch him completely while high and dropped him or let him get hurt! That stuff happens accidentally even when the caregivers are sober!
If Janelle can sober up and actually step up to the plate instead of being standoffish and treating her kid like a dog, she would be alot better. She likes to through all the guilt of her actions at her mom, quoting in one episode “Its your fault im pregant”

Barbara Evans is a mentally ill person who should not have custody of any children, her own included. While Janelle is definitely acting out, it’s a result of some severe emotional abuse from that mother. The cycle will surely continue if Barbara keeps this baby. At least Janelle could get some help and possibly change, before it’s too late.

Barbara is mentally ill. It is apparent. Why the court would award even temporary custody to her of her grandson, Jace, is indicitive of what is wrong with America’s legal system. That child should be removed from the custody of his mother AND his grandmother and placed with a foster family until such time as he can be legally adopted.

How anyone can miss the fact that Barbara is unfit as a mother AND a grandmother and that there is a strong potential for her to become both verbally and physically abusive toward that child is a mystery to me. I didn’t actually realize that people like Barbara were given any credence today. I’ve seen people like Barbara all my life. Anyone can plainly see she is “not right” by her speech patterns and her appearance, let alone her immature behavior on the program. One day she will go off on Jace and possibly kill him. Stupidity for some people is a loaded gun just waiting on a closet shelf.

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butros gali

Posted at 10:36 AM on February 9, 2011

Very well said!

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sara

Posted at 1:12 AM on February 1, 2011

She must really want to hurt Janelle by trying to take away her own child
.. How sad to have your own child taken away under a controlling manipulative situation.. shell never get custody of him again.. after years go by the courts will not switch custody especially since her mother is obviously trying to come between Janelle and Jaces relationship and make them distant.. what a passive aggressive sociopath

This is probably true! I have been waiting so long to be able to comment about this psycho, i mean jenelle is no angel, but she does try a little and her mom completely discourages her.

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mk

Posted at 10:25 AM on March 20, 2011

What is Barbara supposed to do? Just let Janelle take Jace anytime anyplace anywhere? When Janelle has already proven that she can’t take care of herself, let alone care for a baby? What if she drives under the influence…or Jace gets abused at some druggie party? Is Barbara just supposed to sit back and let it happen? Giving birth doesn’t make you a mother- they have been making babies in test tubes for decades. Your actions make you a mother.

I think the only reason Barbara wants custody of Jace is to flaunt her control over him to Jenelle.. its kind of like her saying ha ha i won jenelle and you lost..she is mad that jenelle doesn’t spend her whole paycheck on him but then throws in her face that SHE is his guardian not Jenelle… give me a break.. she only wants him to fill some sick old lady need.. then saying ‘jace your mom is a bad girl’ wow great parenting!

janelle doent need to have custody becuz in stead of going out with friends she sould have been hone tring to prove to her mom that she can take care of her son and tring to get a job and things like that so she can prove to her mom that she can take care of her kids and barbra looksd like a control freak cuz he daughter is out of control and she only wants the best for her jenelle is a bad mom jenell should have gave her bby up for adoption

they both need help jenelle and barb. They are both in need of some severe mental health counseling. jenelle needs to really try harder at keeping her life in order without all the drugs and boyfriends and think about jace if that is what she really wants. And Barb needs to stop being so mean and controlling to jenelle. She should have told her about the baby’s surgery, jenelle should have been there. My mom took custody of my fourteen year old because i was a single mother and having problems with him, but she made sure I always knew what was going on with him and included me on sporting events, parent teacher nights, etc. Barb needs to show Jenelle she loves her, and jenelle needs to step up and start making responsible decisions.

Barbara is not the best mom i seen worse. do i think Janelle should have custody no i don’t. but the truth of the matter is if barb didn’t step up and take custody the baby woulda been in the custody of the state, in a foster home. Who knows what kind of people he woulda been with. Some foster family’s are just in it for the money and do not care one bit about the kids I seen it first hand.. I do think that barb does get off on the power trip she gets being able to flaunt the custody of jace.. I feel bad for Jenelle shes caught in between a very strong addiction problem and the love she has for jace. Most people would say just stop drugs. Well that’s easier said then done not only is it mentally and physically addicting, but believe it or not her mothers attitude towards her pushes her right back to the drugs. She would be better off without her boyfriend or any boyfriend at all for now. her mother is very narcissistic. remember this is reality tv and its edited, her mother could be portrayed to look worse then she is or she really is worse then what we the public see in the tv episodes. Only thing im glad about is the jace is not caught in the system, yet.. God forbid i know my post is a little all over the place but i really am not the brightest fellow and i just needed to get this off my chest best way i could. Good luck jenelle and jace you will be together again. I wouldn’t blame you if you cut your mother out of your life as soon as you can. I’m almost positive that would be super beneficial for you without her. Shes not a good women, I only hope she don’t have enough time with jace to screw him up too.